In manufacturing of electronic devices such as semiconductor devices, static electricity generated in the electronic devices and/or manufacturing apparatuses may affect the performance of the devices and/or the manufacturing yields. Therefore, ionizers are widely used at the manufacturing sites of electronic devices in order to remove static electricity.
An ionizer has a needle-type electrode. For example, corona discharge occurs at the tip of the electrode upon application of a high voltage of a few kilovolts of electricity to the electrode, and air ions are generated at the tip of the electrode. Using a fan blower, for example, the generated air ions are sprayed over an electrically charged target to be discharged, thereby neutralizing the electric charge of the target to be discharged. In this manner, static electricity of the target to be discharged may be removed.